How Are Asteroids and Comets Related to Meteorites?
Asteroids are rocky bodies, less than 1000 kilometers across, that orbit our Sun. Asteroids occur in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Comets are masses of ice and dust, less than 10 kilometers across, that usually stay in the cold outer reaches of our solar system. Meteoroids are small pieces of asteroids or comets. Where Do Meteorites Come From? Most meteorites appear to come from asteroids. This is based on a comparison of the composition of meteorites with our understanding of the composition of asteroids, based on remote sensing. It also is based on a comparison of the orbits of asteroids and the orbits of meteoroids, calculated from photographs of the meteoroids as they approached Earth. A few meteorites are from the Moon and Mars. These are pieces of the planets that were broken off and knocked into orbit when asteroids struck the planets. Meteorites from the Moon are similar to the samples collected by the Apollo astronauts. The Mars meteorites include sealed pockets
